Thiem wins 6-2, 3-6, 7-5, 5-7, 7-5!

Fifth set: *Djokovic 2-6, 6-3, 5-7, 7-5, 5-7 Thiem (*denotes server): An error from Djokovic opens the door at 0-15 but he continues his regular assaults on the net to follow-up and level. Two points later an inside-out forehand from Thiem pulls it back to 30-30. Six points later and it is still tied at deuce. Now it is Djokovic under pressure, he dumps a forehand into the net and Thiem has a match point! AND HE’S DONE IT!

Fifth set: *Djokovic 2-6, 6-3, 5-7, 7-5, 5-5 Thiem (*denotes server): As we tick into fourth hour for the match Djokovic steadies himself to get out to a 30-0 lead but Thiem fights to get back to 30-30. The wind is proving problematic for both players on court... as is the net-cord. This time it goes in Djokovic’s favour, sending a Thiem backhand out of play. A contested line call goes Djokovic’s way and it is all square.

Fifth set: Djokovic 2-6, 6-3, 5-7, 7-5, 4-5 Thiem* (*denotes server): Thiem hits a couple of strong serves to get himself to match point at 40-15 but a horrible slice backhand means he has to try again. Another loose shot and we are at deuce. Does anyone want to win this? Thiem blasts a forehand long and now Djokovic has a break point. Again, the world No 1 does nothing but put the ball back in play and watch his opponent make a mistake, this time it is a backhand into the net. Back on serve...

Fifth set: *Djokovic 2-6, 6-3, 5-7, 7-5, 3-5 Thiem (*denotes server): What a turnaround since the rain delay for Djokovic but is he going to throw it away again? He dumps a backhand into the net at 30-30 and does the same on the forehand in the very next point. Incredible. Thiem is now serving for the match!

Fifth set: Djokovic 2-6, 6-3, 5-7, 7-5, 3-4 Thiem* (*denotes server): Thiem looks in a hurry to finish this but that haste could cost him. Djokovic, by comparison, seems serene. At 30-30, Djokovic seizes control of the rally and puts his opponent on the back foot before finishing him off with a cool volley. Thiem saves that break point but Djokovic will not be denied as Thiem flicks an attempted lob long to put deciding set back on serve.

Fifth set: *Djokovic 2-6, 6-3, 5-7, 7-5, 2-4 Thiem (*denotes server): We have play! Straight away there is drama as Djokovic stops play to contest a ball he thinks was out, the umpire disagrees but the Serb is able to save the break point and ultimately win the game. Great mental strength from Djokovic to remain calm there.

A couple of interesting views have come in via email about Djokovic’s behaviour.

Thomas Traill writes: Perhaps it’s partly a vicious circle, i.e. the further his popularity drops, the more he gets fed up?

It’s a sympathetic point but Andy Murray has been viewed as a bit of a moaner at various points in his career but has remained pretty popular.

Going a little deeper, Abhijato Sensarma writes: I do not defend either person’s actions, but the fact that Serena Williams was penalised repeatedly on that fateful day of the US Open final for the same kind of behaviour which Novak has shown throughout this match (and hasn’t been docked points like her) shows us that different lines are drawn for men and women when it comes to penalising them for verbal abuse.

I do not have enough proof to call this sexism, but when you’re letting off a person of one gender for his venting of anger, you can’t penalise another person of the other gender for doing the same! Double standards exist even at the most elite tournaments, as we’ve seen throughout the course of this match. With more awareness being raised each day, however, hopefully the new generation of chair umpires treat everyone fairly going forward.

This is pretty much the point Serena Williams has ever since and one I personally I agree with. Djokovic’s behaviour was perhaps delivered in a more controlled manner but the content was not dissimilar.

Rain

Fifth set: *Djokovic 2-6, 6-3, 5-7, 7-5, 1-4 Thiem (*denotes server): A must-hold for Djokovic but Thiem seems determined to make it difficult for him as he charges in to hit a winner to get to 15-15. At 30-30 a desperate Thiem lob befuddles Djokovic as a strong gust of wind first keeps the ball inside the baseline and then takes it away from him on the bounce. The break is snuffed out but then disaster. The rain arrives and, just like that, the players are rushing off court. Play will resume, whenever that is, at 40-40.

Fifth set: Djokovic 2-6, 6-3, 5-7, 7-5, 1-4 Thiem* (*denotes server): A hold to love looks on the cards before Djokovic makes a superb get and a Thiem serves another double fault. The Austrian finally consolidates the break as Djokovic nets a regulation backhand at 40-30.

Fifth set: *Djokovic 2-6, 6-3, 5-7, 7-5, 1-3 Thiem (*denotes server): Thiem makes it five points in a row since facing a break point to go 0-30 up on Djokovic’s serve. The Serb’s drifts a backhand wide and Thiem has three chances to go ahead. He takes the second as Djokovic sees his backhand volley clip the net cord and bounce back on his own side.

Fifth set: Djokovic 2-6, 6-3, 5-7, 7-5, 1-2 Thiem* (*denotes server): Thiem’s hunting the lines again but at 30-30 he gets a punchy effort wrong and hands his rival an opening but a poor effort from Djokovic gets the world No 4 off the hook.

Fifth set: *Djokovic 2-6, 6-3, 5-7, 7-5, 1-1 Thiem (*denotes server): Astunning point goes Thiem’s way to bring the game to 40-40. Thiem used the wind to aid a drop hot and bring in Djokovic before flicking it past him on the stretch. The Austrian then earns a break with the shot of the match: a cheeky drop shot, played tight to the net at an outrageous angle that wrong foots Djokovic, who was preparing to chase down the line. Ultimately there’s no reward for Thiem as Djokovic digs in to hold.

Fifth set: Djokovic 2-6, 6-3, 5-7, 7-5, 0-1 Thiem* (*denotes server): Aroutine hold for Thiem at the start of the decider will do his confidence some good. He noticeably fell off at the end of the last set. During the break the Austrian was trying to stay loose as Djokovc sat in his chair. We’re over three hours for this match now.

Djokovic wins the fourth set 7-5!

Fourth set: *Djokovic 2-6, 6-3, 5-7, 7-5 Thiem (*denotes server): The southern end of Philippe Chatrier has been a death valley for servers in this set. Djokovic has to hold take us the distance and despite an errant drop shot at 15-0 up he does so with little difficulty.

Fourth set: Djokovic 2-6, 6-3, 5-7, 6-5 Thiem* (*denotes server): Djokovic rages at a missed opportunity to go 0-30 up, lamenting weak effort on the approach that allows Thiem to save the point with a lob. However the pressure tells on Thiem, a wretched forehand gives Djokovic a break chance, with a double-fault ensuring the receiver does not even have to work to secure it.

Fourth set: *Djokovic 2-6, 6-3, 5-7, 5-5 Thiem (*denotes server): Thiem opens up with a thunderous backhand to steal an early march but two missed returns hands back advantage. That is poor from Thiem as he squanders two more points with loose backhands to offer Djokovic an easy hold.

Fourth set: *Djokovic 2-6, 6-3, 5-7, 4-4 Thiem (*denotes server): Djokovic slips on the first point of his service game as a slice return wrong-foots him. Thiem digs in and all of a sudden a break point appears, before a sloppy attempted drop shot from Djokovic gifts Thiem the game. The pendulum swings again.

Fourth set: Djokovic 2-6, 6-3, 5-7, 4-3 Thiem* (*denotes server): A stunning return from Djokovic will only serve to further dent Thiem’s mindset as he slips to 0-15. The Austrian does well to recover and steadies himself to earn a hold.

Fourth set: *Djokovic 2-6, 6-3, 5-7, 2-2 Thiem (*denotes server): A brutal backhand from Thiem, deep in the receiving court, puts him up 0-30 on Djokovic’s serve. The world No 1 finds the net two points later and Thiem has two shots at breaking straight back. Djokovic saves one and a loose slice from Thiem restores parity. What follows is a remarkable point, stout defence from Djokovic is met by deft touch from his opponent to earn a third break point and an outrageous net-cord sends a Thiem return looping deep over his rival for an unlikely winner. All square again.

Fourth set: Djokovic 2-6, 6-3, 5-7, 2-1 Thiem* (*denotes server): This time the net-cord goes against Thiem as a 22-shot rally ends with Djokovic getting a chance at an easy winner that he gladly takes. That set up a break point and loose backhand from Thiem gives Djokovic the first heavy blow of the fourth set.

“Well done, well done man. You’ve earned yourself a name,” snipes Djokovic at the umpire during the turnaround at the break. That’s a reference to the warning Djokovic got for taking too much time on his serve in the last game.

Thiem wins third set 7-5!

Third set: *Djokovic 2-6, 6-3, 5-7 Thiem (*denotes server): Thiem going all out to avoid a tie-break, aggressively looking for the lines and hitting some delightful winners. Djokovic is rattled by the umpire starting the service clock what the Serb perceives as a tad prematurely. Perhaps that was in his head as a straightforward error hands Thiem a set point. Djokovic saves that one and two more as the game drifts past 10 minutes. A magnificent low return proves my previous prediction wholly incorrect. Advantage Thiem!

Third set: *Djokovic 2-6, 6-3, 5-5 Thiem (*denotes server): A rogue attempted winner from Djokovic sails into the net to make it 15-15, but that is redeemed in the very next point by a trip to the net that surprises his opponent and clears an easy path to hold.

Third set: Djokovic 2-6, 6-3, 4-5 Thiem* (*denotes server): Thiem has a delightfully delicate slice but there are no rewards for style alone as Djokovic keeps plugging away. Facing another break point, Thiem gets a huge chunk of fortune as he twice fails to put away the point with an overhead only to see his drop shot clip the top of the net and drop in his favour. It’s a gutsy hold for Thiem a few points later as Djokovic sends a routine backhand wide.

Third set: *Djokovic 2-6, 6-3, 4-4 Thiem (*denotes server): Thiem’s groundstrokes are just not as clean as Djokovic’s at the moment. The younger man is playing the more eye-catching shots but with less consistency. Thiem wins the point of the game by out-duelling Djokovic at the net to make it 30-30 all but it is in vain as the world No 1 holds to win his third game in a row.

Third set: Djokovic 2-6, 6-3, 3-4 Thiem* (*denotes server): There is a steely focus to Djokovic in the early stages here and a couple of errors from his opponent again provide an opportunity to break. A double fault and a long backhand from Thiem sets up 30-40 and another loose shot from the Austrian mean it’s back on serve in the third.

Third set: Djokovic 2-6, 6-3, 1-4 Thiem* (*denotes server): As we resume, a wild forehand from Thiem spirals high into the air and opens the door for Djokovic and a couple of blows later the Serb has a break chance. Thiem shows some mettle to finally knock down his opponent, closing a 23-shot rally with a mighty forehand down the line to earn parity. After that it’s all Thiem, winning the next two points in impressive style to back-up his break last night.

Djokovic and Thiem are due on court in under 10 minutes. That breeze is a bit stiffer than perhaps first billed, poor Annabel Croft is struggling to keep her hair out of her face on Eurosport. Djokovic has at least decided to get out of his car this morning...

Preamble

For the organisers of the French Open the faster they can get the tournament in the history books and get planning for 2020 the better. A weather-worn two weeks at Roland Garros has exposed some unwanted flaws in scheduling and left tournament director Guy Forget open to some well-earned criticism.

The latest farce sees Novak Djokovic and Dominic Thiem resume their semi-final battle on Philippe Chatrier at 11am BST - some three hours before Ashleigh Barty takes on Markéta Vondroušová in the women’s final - in a match that could well have been concluded on Friday evening. A premature decision to end play with the sun shining overhead left Thiem up 6-2, 3-6, 3-1, but also at least an hour of good conditions on the clock. The decision to sell separate tickets for the men’s semi-finals has also backfired with refunds given to those who endured the on-off match-up last night.

The good news is that despite a bit of breeze the weather in Paris is forecast to stay clear for today and we could be in for intriguing conclusion to the bonus match this morning. Djokovic, a break down, is on the verge of losing just his second set of the tournament in what is now effectively a three-set contest. Thiem, the most obvious heir apparent to Rafael Nadal on clay, hopes to secure a shot of avenging last year’s defeat to the Spaniard and deny Djokovic a return to the French Open for the first time since 2016.